NIBR confirms 56,248 indigenous spices inhabit the Korean peninsula 

NIBR announced that there are 56,248 species inhabiting the Korean peninsula according to 

its revised list of Korean species in December 2021. 

Since 1996, NIBR has investigated and listed vertebrates, invertebrates, lichens, plants, algae, 

protozoa, and bacteria that live in Korea to conserve national biodiversity. Since 2008, 

taxonomical experts have also joined with NIBR researchers to systematically update the list 

of the Korean indigenous species.  

130 Korean taxonomists from 36 universities and 6 research institutions in Korea and 12 

foreign experts from Mongolia, Lithuania, and other countries have engaged in revising the list of Korean species.

A total of 1,820 species are newly added to the list including 436 new species such as 

Hynobius geojeensis, Bracon allevatus, and others as new records to Korea such as Scutellaria guilielmii, 

Brachalutes ulvarum, Hamodactylus boschmai, and Hemigrapsus sanguineus.

As for plants, 90 lichens have been identified after studying dispersed records and specimen 

documents in some European countries, the Unites States, Japan, etc.

As for insects, the primary focus was on parasitic wasps and flies which the species diversity 

is high but harder to observe and collect, such as Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, Platygasteridae, 

and Tachinidae. As a result, 140 new species and 420 new records to Korea were added to the list.

As for microorganisms, some useful species have been identified including a 

new Methylococcus geothermalis that reduces methane emissions in the Moojechineup 

wetland, and the unrecorded truffle, Tuber himalayense. These species have great potentials to be 

utilized broadly in the biotechnology sector. 

The revised list of Korean species is available at one of NIBR’s websites (species.nibr.go.kr) in Excel form.